AUGUST ~ Annual OPF in Kainaliu

For the eighteenth consecutive year, Aloha Performing Arts Company presented to Kona its unique season-starting event, the Original Play Festival, or "OPF," as it is referred to by
those of us that are involved. The OPF is a great opportunity for aspiring playwrights to submits plays for a live staged reading at the history Aloha Theater in Kainaliu. What's nice about these plays is that they haven't been performed on stage before and then there is an open discussion with the cast......and sometimes even the playwright is present. To end the OPF, the public is invited to a free onstage potluck wrap-up celebration of the festival and all its participants. Food, drink, and favorite anecdotes of the festival will be shared in this "talk story" fellowship event. Those who have attended every reading are eligible to vote for the "Opie," a people's choice award for best script in the festival, which will presented at the conclusion of the celebration. Remember to keep your tickets to the staged readings (only $5.00.....which is less than a movie ticket!) because a ticket stub from a previous night's reading is worth a $1.00 discount to the next OPF night. OPF is the kick-off for the season and the first play of the season is “The Diary of Anne Frank” . For more information on submitting your own script for the next OPF, call their office at 808-322-9924.

AUGUST ~ Annual APAC Gala

Every year, the Aloha Theater hosts a gala. The theme varies each year, but no matter what, you know you are in for a treat! Last year's gala was “Almost Elton John” and this year was a celebration of Roy Damron and old hollywood. It is always an evening full of great entertainment, silent auction, live auction, catered dinner and great fun! It's an event not to be missed. This year, I got to help out with the auction registration and end-of-the-nigh check out. It's always fun to volunteer......and then having a party after the party is also fun! Check out the Aloha Theater's website for a list of upcoming events....and you just might see me there as I'm already signed up to help with upcoming shows. http://apachawaii.org/

If you are staying in Kailua-Kona, getting to the Aloha Theater is very simple. Just take Queen K. Highway (Route 19) going south. As you arrive in Kainaliu, you will see the theater's historical building on your right hand side. Plan on dinner and a show for a great evening out!

AUGUST ~ Annual Cream Of The Crop

This free annual event is hosted the Hoku Amphitheater at the Hualalai Four Seasons Resort and features select Kona coffee farms and local chefs competing for top awards. We had fun walking around and sampling coffees and desserts.....and, of course, casting our votes for our favorites. Congratulations to Amy on winning 1^st place with her yummylicious cookies. She also has delicious scone mixes.....Mango Ginger is my favorite (hint hint for presents!!!). You can find her awesome goodies online at http://www.sweetlegacies.com/index.html The Cream Of The Crop is a great occasion to hang out with girlfriends, run into “old” friends, check out local art and crafts while tantilizing the taste buds! We had all sorts of coffees, cookies, brownies, popcorn with coffee sauce, etc. The trick is to pace yourself or you'll be buzzing with sugar and caffeine for the rest of the weekend!

WAIMEA ~ Picnic at the Park with the kids

Waimea town has a lot to offer but today was a day of playing and relaxing. I'm glad that I make my own schedule and can have some extra fun with the kids before school gets back into session. Driving up the old highway, my ten year old exclaimed “Wow! Look at the view!” to which his best bud replied “Halleluyah!” It sure was a beautiful view. The coastline was well defined and the air so clear that we could see Maui, the next island over. As we got closer to Waimea, we could see which side is the dry side and which is the wet side simply from the colors of the hills. What a cool sight! Arriving into Waimea, the old paniolo town, we made a stop at the grocery store for additional picnic munchies. After all, we had packed some food but with kids it is always fun to go shopping for extra snacks and drinks. And, I just had to go to my favorite coffee shop at the Parker Ranch Center and claim my free birthday drink, a venti white chocolate mocha......Yummmy!!!!!! From there, we were just a few minutes away from the park where we got to relax, eat, and play. Wether you want to spend the day (or part of it) at the park, or maybe just make it a rest stop for the kids to get out of the car and stretch their legs should you be driving to the Hilo side, the park is a nice place to hang-out.

JULY ~ Mango Festival

This was our first time getting to go to the Mango Festival. It's like a farmers market that also has ono grinds (good food), arts, crafts, keiki activities, education and lots of entertainment. We could buy shirts for all sizes......from newborn to adult size XXXXXXL ! Nicely located on the lawn of the Keauhou Beach Resort, it has both sun and shade. Being on the ocean side, you can also take a break and catch sight of the honus feeding on the algeas (just remember not to touch them.....it's against the rules!) We also enjoyed quite a variety of samples, many of them being chocolate. I even tasted a sun-dried cacao bean. I was expecting something bitter, and it sure was! Stopped for a moment to learn about grafting techniques, but you know how boring that can be to kids so moved on fairly quickly from that spot. To my surprise, the mango theme wasn't as prevalent as I was expecting but we still had a great time.....who wouldn't after eating so much chocolate and checking out the live entertainment! If you are here visiting in July, find out the date of the next Mango Festival and schedule for the day at www.mangofest.org